Health Insurance Fell in 2009: Will Obamacare Really Help?
(CBS) More Americans are going without health insurance.
In 2009, the ranks of the uninsured rose to 50.7 million, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau. That represents an almost 10 percent increase from 2008, when 46.3 Americans lacked health insurance.
The grim statistics aren't hard to explain. Experts say it's all about the bad economy.
"When people lose jobs, it makes enormous sense to expect that the number of people without health insurance will increase," Ron Pollack, executive director of the consumer advocacy group Families USA, told Bloomberg News.
Will Obamacare come to the rescue?
Under the new health-care law, Americans will have to get covered or pay a fine. In theory, government-organized exchanges will help create lower cost insurance options and the government will subsidize some who can't afford it.
The Obama administration estimates that will help 32 million Americans gain insurance. Whether or not it will work, is hotly debated. And we'll have plenty of time to argue about it. Many of the changes don't take effect until 2014.
Read the full report.
MORE HEALTH CONTENT FROM CBS NEWS
